Optimus
by MattAShine
Summary: One of Tom Paris' hidden holograms gain awareness. New character. First of what could be a very long series of stories. Allusions to JC.
1. 01 Optimus Intro

Title: Optimus

**By:** Matthew Shine

**Date:** January 11, 2006

**Rating: **I think this would called an 'M.' I still cannot believe we can't use PG anymore. What nonsense.

**Author Notes**: This happens at the same time of Endgame, but this time no admiral comes and Janeway decides to investigate the 'spatial anomaly' as Harry Kim suggests. This story also works under my theory that the C/7 relationship had only gained such intensity as we had viewed because they were possibly going home and that they wanted to secure some sort of familiarity. This takes a more realistic view in which Chakotay and Seven are easing into this and that the former still is attempting to free himself from his five-year obsession of Kathryn Janeway. I also freely admit this story is awfully contrived.

**Disclaimer:** Paramount owns Star Trek Voyager (goodness know they don't deserve it).

To see the destruction was nearly unbelievable. Fires seemed to be everywhere and the smoke was so thick, to the onlooker standing calmly on a nearby roof it seemed that nothing could have survived the constant onslaught. Explosion after explosion rocked the city below as bombs were dropped from the sky in a blitz that would have rivaled London of the ancient 1930's. The metropolises once mighty skyscrapers looked on the verge of collapse and automobiles on the streets had been turned into ovens as the burned with an intensity that actually melted portions of the tarmac on which they sat. People could be heard for miles screaming for help and those that had managed to avoid the havoc of the falling explosives were caught in a stampede of human bodies racing for some sort of safety. Their attempts would prove to be in vain.

On the roof one of the very few buildings that had managed to not get hit, a lone figure stood scanning the wreckage of a once beautiful city and sighed. He was dressed in a dark blue form fit suit, cape and cowl that protected his identity. The cowl had no special features other than two cut outs for eyes, one of a nose, and a larger one for him mouth. The chest area was charcoal gray and in the center of his rib cage held a smaller circle with the letters 'D.A' emblazoned in red and yellow. Usually, he would look fondly at his costume, but this wasn't a usual day and one look at the ruins below just proved that point all the more. It wasn't supposed to be like this. This was carnage that nobody should have to see; yet he found himself unable to help anyone that called to him. It wasn't that he didn't wish to help, for in some ways he did, but this had to ride itself out, no matter the cost. Besides, he didn't have quite what it would take to handle what they were all up against. Anyhow, there was already help on the way and he himself was in no condition to help these people. That was somebody else's job.

The Dark Avenger slowly took in his surroundings remembering not to vomit. While he was physically fine, emotionally he was not doing so well. '_Perhaps,'_ he thought to himself, '_this could still be salvaged. Maybe I'm not really seeing people dying like this.'_ His thoughts interrupted by a large sound of compressed air being released above him, the suited character returned to the reality at hand. Pushing the thoughts of all of screams, the Dark Avenger turned his gaze to the sky and searched. He could no longer see the vessel that dropped death onto the streets and buildings below, but he could sure hear it. A sense of panic entering him, the Dark Avenger pushed himself away from the railings and towards the door that would lead to the staircase should he need to escape.

The glass from a neighboring skyscraper shattered, and the 'Dark Avenger' froze in fear that he realized that he shouldn't be having. A medium size black spaceship with yellow trim and menacing looking guns seemed to come up right from the streets below and hovered slightly above the building the would be hero stood on. Squinting at mechanical beast before him, the Dark Avenger could clearly see the cockpit and the pilot who obviously recognized the opportunity to destroy one of his hated foes.

Disobeying his own rule, the Dark Avenger pulled his mask off in desperation revealing the face of a younger man obviously in his early thirty's with blonde hair and no facial hair at all. The sweat that had been accumulating, now exposed to the raw elements, was cooled immediately and for a moment, the young man forgot where he was as the evaporating sweat created soothing effect. This time of bliss was short lived when a series of clicks invaded his ears. Eyes snapping open, the man was all but prepared to end this when the unthinkable happened.

Just as the guns were about to fire, a small blue object about six feet long cannoned up from under the dark ship and sent it skyward despite the protest of the ships pilot, who was fighting to control his ship despite the fact that whatever had hit him had shredded part of his hull and taken out the engines as well in one blow. Fighting the fate that he knew would befall him, the would be murderer of the Dark Avenger felt his ship slow a few hundred feet up and bliss momentarily entered his heart. Perhaps whatever had him before had fallen away, and besides, he wasn't falling toward the ocean that was now below him. This feeling of relief didn't last long.

At first, the pilot felt a strange sensation of his body being pulled toward the back of his seat. Opening the eyes that were before closed, his fears were confirmed. His ship was being spun around in circles. Judging by the number of times he could make out the skyline of the city he had just finished attacking, he knew that they were going fast and whatever was doing this was not slowing down with the revolutions. Getting sick at the constant motion, the being sitting at the controls felt the need to push down the urge to vomit. Suddenly, the spinning ceased and he felt everything go haywire. Looking through the glass, he could clearly see the city he just 'visited' getting further and further away. Oh, sure he could probably eject his seat but who would really help him now that he had probably killed a few thousand people? With no engines and no control over the destination, he simply sat back and enjoyed the ride. It ended about three minutes later when the little ship hit the water and blew apart from the impact approximately thirty-five miles east of Manhattan.

Atop the building that was almost the scene of a would-be butchering a few precious seconds ago, Tom Paris stood staring at the events that unfolded, his mask just slipping to the ground. From the ship being hurdled upwards to the ship being spun around, to the launch that he just witnessed, Tom could just stare. He had always loved watching Optimus work, and this time was no exception. Whether or not Optimus liked him being in these situations were up for debate, but it wasn't a debate that Optimus didn't enjoy seeing people die. Taking a slight breath, Tom was sure that he would hear something soon. Speaking of Optimus, were was he? He could see his image clearly before after he had let go of the offending ship, but now he had just seemed to vanish. Maybe he was helping some of the people trapped in the buildings.

"Just what the hell did you think you were doing, might I ask?" Maybe not. The intense masculine voice blasted through Tom's thoughts. Turning around slowly, Paris saw the object of his thoughts glaring at him with a level of rage that would drive Janeway herself back a step or two. Optimus was a good six feet four inches tall, chocolate brown hair cropping his head, blue eyes and a very fair complexion. He was well built, but nothing amazing like the old Superman comics. His clothes, unlike Tom's Dark Avenger character, weren't skintight at all. On the contrary, it looked like a blue suede tunic, shorts and a belt. His feet were clothed in suede looking socks that had a sort padding beneath them.

"Look, I'm sorry. I knew that you had to do your work, but I figured that I would just see how you're doing." Tom grimaced slightly. It was at least partially true. The full truth was that he needed to push Optimus' character to see just how he, the entire simulation for that matter, would fair. By the looks of it, very well. "I'm sorry, okay? Hey you did stop him and he wouldn't have stood still long enough if not for me."

Seeing the expression of his roof mate darken, Tom began to regret his choice of words. "That, Tom is exactly what I didn't like. You know that…" Optimus stopped mid sentence and half turned his head. Tom strained to listen, but could hear nothing but that wasn't new. Sometimes Optimus' powers could be a bit disconcerting. Seeing his friend bolt toward the railing, Tom followed in wonderment.

Stopping at the ledge, Optimus pointed to a car on the street some 100 floors south of them. Tom could just barely make out a car and thought he could see a small orange glow come from under it. Optimus spoke first. "Someone's trapped in that car. Her seat belt it caught. The car's on fire, but the fire hasn't penetrated that passenger compartment just yet." Looking away, Tom watched as Optimus narrowed his eyes into what seemed to be nothingness. In truth, the powerful being was looking through the building that they were presently standing on and down to the streets below. He could clearly see multiple fire trucks making their way down the crowded streets, but he knew that they wouldn't make it in time.

Looking back to the helpless car, Optimus glanced around it and found a fire hydrant and he focused on it and shot a cord of energy at it and watched it blow apart like plaster. He then focused a sharp beam on the cars seat belt mechanism and watched it pop apart. Tom looked on as two blue beams shot out of Optimus' eyes and hit their targets. Both watched as a torrent of water cascaded around the car, and Tom heard his companion sign in relief. "The fire's out and the young woman has safely escaped harm." Optimus looked away from the street and back to Paris. "Anyway, you know that you don't have my powers. You know that if you get shot, you may very well die. You've been lucky in the past, but one that might run out." As much as Optimus liked the young man with an amazing ability to avoid being injured, he just takes the worst risks.

Tom remembered Optimus programming and knew exactly what the character was eluding too with a profound sense of guilt. He had… added things to this characters past that played a major part in his everyday dealings. He hadn't intended on getting to know this character so well, and certainly not becoming friends with him. "I know; I'll try to be more careful in the future." Deciding that maybe they should lighten the mood a bit more, Tom switched topics. "Hey, you know? I wouldn't mind checking out your little workshop again. I love that lab you've got there."

Letting go of his anger, Optimus nodded his head. Remembering the conversation of only seconds ago, he once again leveled a glare with much less strength but enough to convey that he did mean business. "Don't think you're off the hook with this one just yet."

Every super hero had a place where they did their business. Superman had the Fortress of Solitude, Batman had his cave and in this world, Optimus had a mountain that had been transformed into a lab and a residential section. As far as Paris, and indeed many of Voyager's other crew (the one's Tom had brought in before creating the Optimus character) thought, this was defiantly the best part of the program. This was what Tom had first designed when he set to work with this program. Back then it was going to be another Captain Proton sort of thing just set in New York at the end of the twentieth century. Life back then seemed good. Economic boom, no wars just yet, and technology (while primitive) was far more advanced than even five years previous. In many regards, this was the golden age of humanity (until after Cochran, that is).

This was one of the very few holodeck programs that featured a hero that wasn't himself, but this character was a real entity that had real emotions, unlike even most of Fair Haven's populace. Optimus had memories that extended all through his life, and he had powers that Paris simply couldn't give himself (no matter how hard he tried). To Tom, Optimus was his ultimate hologram and not just because of his obvious control over nature. The man had a full past that was completely rooted in his respective timeframe of the late 1990's. He had a complete education and even the story of how he became what he was today was rooted in possibility (even if he himself hadn't programmed it, he did tell the holodeck to create a completely plausible way for the lead character to have his powers).

Originally, it was Tom's intention to be the lead character, but this had to be rethought after Voyager's Chief Engineer, and Tom's expectant wife, B'Elanna Torres told him with no real room for doubt that the sort of powers that he wanted to give himself where just beyond the holodeck's capabilities (this after a lot of laughing for his giant ego for even contemplating it). After hearing this, Tom decided that maybe he could create a character with all of the powers that he would have given himself were he able. He would have to have the ability to fly, be mostly invulnerable, the ability to go into outer space without oxygen for an indefinite amount of time, see through solid objects (lead included), have laser come out of his eyes, bend nearly any metal with no real effort, and last but not least: the ability to change into his Optimus uniform at will rather than having to hide it underneath layers of clothing. There were, of course, other powers, but those were the main ones.

Of course, the character needed a personal history (this would give him a reason to fight). Optimus' real name was Roger Floyd and had a life just like everyone else. He had a social security number, a driver's license, taxes and insurance. Like everyone, Roger had the secret crushes that plague everyone; he basically had the same problems everyone else did.

While Roger and Optimus were the same person, Floyd's style of behavior tended to be different while he played the Optimus part. Over the course of his youth and young adulthood, Roger realized that he had a power deep within himself and creating the Optimus alter ego was by far the best way to help humanity but not lose his in the exchange. The one manner that was pivotally different than heroes like Superman is that Roger wasn't alien and neither his biological parents nor siblings had powers. Someday, Tom vowed, he would have to find out how the holodeck managed to fill that order.

He was not a typical "hero" by any stretch. The young man had a bit of a short fuse and had a sense of cynicism that wasn't exactly shared by most of the classic hero's Tom had read about for so long, which is what had made the character so appealing to create and work with. To have a regular human who simply wanted to do good, and the wherewithal to succeed.

Having been lost in his thoughts, Paris snapping back into the present, he saw Optimus standing before him. Tom watched as Optimus seemed to go into deep concentration, and for a moment, his body seemed to loose cohesion and become increasingly blurry. When he solidified a few moments later, Optimus was no more. Instead, Roger Floyd stood there instead wearing a long sleeve blue button-up shirt, white t-shirt under it and black pants. To say that Roger and Optimus looked just like each other was not entirely accurate. Even though they were the same person, some things were subtly (almost subconsciously) different. Roger's posture was more relaxed and his entire body seemed less tense. Whereas Optimus seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders, Roger almost had a blasé look about himself. The unfortunate part is that more often than not, when Optimus did make an appearance, many lives where indeed in his hands.

"So, what do you wish to check out today?" His previous anger temporarily forgotten, Roger found himself amused. Tom had always looked astonished to see him change like that. To be honest, Roger would have to admit that it freaked himself out when it first happened as well. Let's face it; the ability to partially disappear and reappear just wasn't normal.

Tom never got a chance to answer as he heard his combadge chirp.

"**Janeway to Paris. I know that you're off duty, but we need you up here and quickly. We are under attack."**

Tom slapped his previously concealed badge. "Sure Captain I'll be right there. Paris out." Swearing to himself, Tom turned to Roger. "Roger, I have to go. I know the way out. I'll be back in a little while…I hope." He muttered that last part, but Roger heard it anyhow. Not really thinking about what he was ordering, Voyagers lead helmsman called out "Computer, arch!" and exited the holodeck.

At the detection that the pilot had exited the holodeck, one of Tom's previous program additions activated and automatically paused the running program. Roger Floyd and all holographic activity froze on the spot as the young pilot ran out down the hallway toward the lift for the bridge as fast as his legs could carry him.


	2. 02 Malfunctions

Malfunctions

By: Matthew Shine

Striding through the corridors of Voyager, Tom Paris started stripping his 'Dark Avenger' suit off. Normally, Captain Janeway would not be forgiving of such infractions of protocol as handling bridge detail in anything other than a Starfleet uniform in battle, but in his defense he was calling in from being off duty.

Entering the turbo lift, Tom quickly ordered his desired deck. Noticing the ship seeming to lurch beneath his feet and lights dim for a fraction of a second, Tom silently wished this normally uneventful ride would end as soon as possible. That wish was soon answered, and Tom briefly entertained the concept of going back to the holodeck. Ignoring that impulse, Tom emerged onto the bridge, still struggling with his uniform.

Smoke billowed up from most of the consoles, and the young pilot cast a worried eye toward the engineering station and his very pregnant wife. B'Elanna, much to her own dismay, had cut a deal with the EMH to continue working even though her pregnancy was in the home stretch. In exchange, she was sequestered on the bridge while (and this was the worst part) Seven of Nine took active command of engineering. The recent loss of Joe Carey hadn't left any time to set a permanent number two.

Seeing she was, for now, alright, Tom side-stepped the crewmembers who scurried back and forth in attempts to put out the fires that engulfed a few of the duty stations and past his captain and first officer. On the view screen a fleet of Borg cubes and spheres were taking shots at the lone Federation ship.

Kathryn Janeway had seen Tom enter the bridge and restrained herself from calling him on the carpet for checking on his wife instead of assuming duty during a battle. She didn't like her chief engineer in so much danger either, but without Paris at the helm the entire ship was at risk. That temper, already flaring from being attacked, was lowered even further by Paris' choice of clothing. It served as a reminder that this mess was brought about by a routine exploration mission of a spatial anomaly with astonishing amounts of graviton particles laced throughout it. Once Voyager entered it, an armada of Borg ships attacked, but surprisingly, there had been no attempt at assimilation…yet.

"Tom, get over to the wheel." Turning back to the screen, she tried to discern someway to get the hell out of this one. There were ships converging on Voyager's position at all points. Every time Voyager lobbed a phaser or torpedo at them, the energy just seemed to be absorbed by the Borg shields. The enemy weapons, on the other hand, were another matter all together. Already Voyager's systems were being compromised, as their shields seemed to be non-effective. Not for the first time in past few years, Janeway wished that they had some sort of ace up their collective sleeves. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Kathryn thought about blasting Chakotay for his bad timing. She really didn't need to be distracted now.

Tom didn't even bother relieving the current pilot. There was no time. The entire ship seemed to be on the verge of breaking apart. With every hit there was another explosion on the bridge and another persons scream. Taking matters into his own hands for a couple of seconds, Tom pulled Voyager up and over one of the ships and watched with amusement as two cubes shot each other. Normally this wouldn't have had any great effect, but Tuvok had just fired a phaser shot that changed the polarity of both weapons just enough to slice through the Borg shield and knock both ships back.

Lieutenant Commander Tuvok stood passively at his station and watched the carnage unfold on screen. His immediate disapproval of the young pilots actions faded away fairly fast as he noticed that two of the ships previously uncompromised shields where now completely gone. Quickly, Tuvok scanned the ships and indeed see that both had very little defense. "Captain, two of the Borg vessels have lost their shields."

Janeway looked at Paris quickly and sent him a very short 'thanks.' "Lock phasers and fire." Looking on in joy, both Kathryn and Chakotay watched as both ships had large chunks taken out of them and the third speed of in another direction. "Paris, use those flying skills of yours to get us the hell out of here. Maximum warp." Paris needed no orders and immediately took off toward open space.

"Captain, the Borg vessels are not pursuing."

Giving Tuvok at nod, Kathryn seemed to collapse into her chair. Giving a cursory glance around the bridge, she grimaced. Smoke billowed out of most stations and some of her crew were on the ground in pain. Gathering energy that she realized she shouldn't posses, Janeway got to her feet. "What's our status?"

In a word: 'grim.' Shields were down and systems were malfunctioning all over the ship and some of the bio-neural gel packs were damaged. Transporters were off line as well as turbo lifts. Internal communications weren't all that great, but that was the least of their problems. Hearing of hull breaches and massive casualties in sickbay with some decks actually not responding at all, Janeway slid back into her chair as wished for the day to end.

During the battle that raged on, the holodeck was one of the systems that were malfunctioning. As one system after another seemed to go down, the damaged computer unpaused only hologram and not the rest of the simulation.

Roger Floyd snapped back to life with the grin still on his face. It quickly fell off of his face when he saw, in the middle of his base, a strange doorway leading out into some sort of unfamiliar hallway. Holding his hand out in an experimental manner, he was shocked to find his hand get a quick jolt and his fingers seem to disappear into nothingness. Pulling his hand back in shock, Roger saw that his fingers were back again and in an attempt to understand what exactly was going on, tried to use his x-ray vision to peer at the world on the other side of that door with no success. Looking around in confusion, Roger noticed that all of his computers seemed to be frozen in place and that there were large gaps in what should be there. Instead of the rock wall that he had carved with his bare hands, there were patches of gray walls with silver lines crisscrossing on it. Other than that hallway, everything that was left in his lab seemed to be frozen in place. Correction, almost everything.

Behind one of the panels that for some reason he never noticed, the very confused man saw that there was some sort of control panel that he didn't remember installing. Carefully separating the panel from the wall, Roger sat down and started examining what he viewed looking like buttons and controls. Quickly realizing that he didn't have enough knowledge of the situation, he got up in annoyance. Remembering that before all of…this, assaulted his senses, he was talking to Tom, Roger quickly took stock of his surroundings. "Tom? Hey, Tom? Are you here?" Looking around what was left of his headquarters, Roger found himself focusing on the energy well deep within himself. It was Roger who started the process, it was Optimus who finished it.

With a more scrutinizing eye, the being rose off of the floor and started checking the upper levels. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, Optimus landed at the mouth of the odd entrance. Not willing to put himself through the experience of loosing more body parts, Optimus tried tapping some of the buttons that adorned the doorframe. Realizing that he was fighting a loosing battle with this one, Optimus dropped. "Where in the hell am I?"

It was meant to be rhetorical. It was meant to be a question that he was more posing to himself, so it was with great surprise that a fractured female voice came to life from nowhere. **Current location is Holodeck One** Optimus jumped to his feet in shock and looked around.

"Who said that?"

**Please restate the question** He grimaced slightly. Obviously he was dealing with some sort of artificial being. Judging by its lack of both personality and name, it probably wasn't intelligent.

"You said this was holodeck one. Are there other holodecks?" Simple enough.

**Affirmative. Holodeck Two is located deck five and Holodeck Three is located on deck six** Okay. Working on the concept of decks, this must be a ship of some sort. Then again, Optimus had been on some pretty advanced ships in his day, and they weren't anything like this.

"Tell me, is this a ship and if so, what's its name?"

**Affirmative, registered name is the Federation Star Ship Voyager** Federation? Star ship? VOYAGER? Optimus reminded himself that he didn't even know the date.

"What is the date today?"

**Star date 54973.4** **or March 13, 2378** Optimus almost hit the ground. Oh sure, he knew that barring any unfortunate accident like planetary explosion or the sun going nova, he would be around in that year, but it should have taken a little bit longer than it did.

"What? Have I gone forward in time or… how long have I been on board this ship?"

**Unknown. Program activation occurred on December 2, 2377**

"Okay. Let me think for a moment." Optimus struggled to remember that date. Normally, his memory would have no doubt rivaled this computers, but with all of this going on… "It was said that this is a holodeck. Am I a hologram. Is that correct? If so, can this be turned off?"

Affirmative

"What would happen to me if this program was turned off?" Optimus hoped that he would hear something to the effect of 'nothing' but with all of this insanity going on, it wasn't very probable.

Unknown

"Hmm… computer, what typically would happen to a hologram if it's program is turned off?"

Holodeck character's present in programs that are turned off are stored inside the main character until program is reloaded

"Are holograms typically able to interact with the ship's computer?"

**Negative**

"Computer, if I am a hologram than why can I interact with the computer if I am not supposed to be able to?"

**Unknown**

Optimus growled deep in his throat. This artificial life form was beginning to severely upset him. "Computer, under what conditions would a hologram be able to interact with Voyager's systems? And please give the most probable explanation."

**Main computer data indicates Holodeck One is experiencing a systems malfunction. Most probable explanation: when malfunction occurred, the holomatrix was made able to interact with the main computer systems of Voyager**

"Does that mean if this is fixed in ten minutes, the hologram would forget this even happened and not be able to learn about Voyager and continue to interact with it?"

**Affirmative** Optimus expected the voice to stop talking, but it surprised him by actually volunteering information. **The only way a holodeck character could permanently have the ability to interact with Voyager's systems is if it were programmed too**

"Okay. Computer, can you save a backup of the current running character and have it contain memories of all of these experiences but make it so that if anyone activates the original an identical version of myself without these memories appears?" Optimus sure as hell wouldn't give up these past few minutes if he could help it.

**Affirmative**

"Very well, computer save the new character as… RF2 and only deactivate when someone attempts to enter the holodeck. Computer, exit all running programs and then initialize RF2." Optimus took an experimental breath and waited as he felt himself tingle all over.

Optimus' image and all of the fractured display faded away to reveal the typical hologrid. Optimus' image suddenly shimmered back into reality. Shaking himself from the feeling, he turned around and saw that the entire room was now gray with the silver and yellow lines on it. Realizing that his plan worked, Optimus sat down on the floor and contemplated his next move. He wanted to get out of this environment, but he knew that the last time he tried to go, part of his body disappeared. Maybe he could use this computer to learn about what has been going on in the world for past 350 to 400 years and why he couldn't leave this place.

"Computer, you mentioned that this is 2378. Is it possible to tell me what's happened since November 3, 1999? I would preferably like to be able to read it. Also, include in this all information regarding holodeck technology and all known information on the starship Voyager?"

**Affirmative** Optimus saw to his disbelief a digipad shimmer into existence right next to him. Picking up the foreign device, Optimus experimentally hit a few buttons and watched as a LCD type display activated.

"Alright." Optimus sat down on the strange floor and started reading. No one saw the odd looking man reading to himself, but if they did, they would see his mouth falling open in horror.


	3. 03 Fixing

Fixing

By: Matthew Shine

Captain Janeway sat in her ready room and read Pad after Pad. Almost every system on Voyager was damaged in this last little escapade of theirs. Luckily, shields, turbo lifts and warp drive were back online, but there were still a lot wrong with the ship that had fought with and for them. Glancing at the chronometer, Janeway was reminded as too how difficult it could be being captain. Her shift ended over three hours ago and the dinner rush had ended as such. '_Then again,'_ Kathryn decided '_maybe I did myself a favor not going to Chell this time.' _Oh, the Bolian did the best he could with what they had, but sometimes… alright, more often than not, his creations would make the doctor tempted put up the 'Bio Hazard' stickers all over the mess hall doors. All in all, he was a lot like Neelix.

Stifling a private chuckle, Kathryn was a bit surprised when her door chime was used. There was only one person who would be daring enough to come to get her attention this late. "Enter Commander." The door slid open to reveal her First Officer, aka 'the only man brave enough to venture into her domain this late without a security detail.'

Chakotay entered the ready room with more than a little apprehension. Normally, he wouldn't be so fearful about facing his captain about the need to eat and sleep, but this wasn't a normal day. This day they were attacked and almost lost the battle. He had plans with Seven originally, but after the attack and the Captains subsequent self-imposed isolation, he knew that he would have to get personally involved. Walking over to her replicators, Chakotay nodded at his dumbfounded captain and asked the machine when it was last used for something other than coffee. Hearing the disappointing answer of six and one half days, the Commander then asked the computer when the last time Janeway left this room and then, other than him, who entered in said time. All of the answers seem to point to the shameful truth.

During Chakotay's interrogating of the computer, Janeway's eyes closed to slits. The man had gone crazy. How dare he do this? "You have made your point Commander." Chakotay froze and looked at her without saying a word. Silently, he turned away from her and once more headed to the replicator and this time punched a few buttons. Janeway attempted to ignore his activities, but he caught her interest when something delicious smelling invaded her sinus cavities.

Walking up her desk, Chakotay held two plates. On both were sandwiches and bowls on vegetable soup. Setting them on the conference table opposite each other, the man lifted a bowl and hovered it under her nose, effectively peaking her interest. "Now, Captain, I bought this with my own little replicator rations so I have no real problem with just recycling this. However, if you want dinner you can't eat at your desk." Seeing Janeway's unimpressed expression, Chakotay let a smile start to burn through his mask of complacency.

Try as she might, Kathryn couldn't stay mad at him. Really, it wasn't his fault he was an idiot. Maybe it was his genetics that were to blame. Sighing dramatically, she visually made a big effort at getting up and creeping over to the table and sitting down. "Are you happy now?" God, this guy could be bad sometimes; at least he was working for her.

"Why of course I'm happy captain. I just felt that it was my civic duty to make sure that you wouldn't drop dead from malnutrition. It would be bad for moral don't you know?"

Try as she did to kill it, a soft chuckle escaped her. Looking to his eyes, Kathryn felt the Captain slowly let go of her. To many, the transformation wouldn't be noticeable for too many people, but Chakotay saw it coming miles away and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you Chakotay. I know what you're thinking… you're thinking I shouldn't be here. You're thinking that I could give these tasks to other people."

"No, Kathryn, I'm thinking that if you're going to be going this all night, you shouldn't be doing it alone. I'm your First Officer, and as such, I should be here right along side you." Typically he didn't mind going out of his way to be included in Janeway's imprisonment, but something was… off… tonight. Besides. lord knows she wouldn't ask for help.

Try as she might, the glacier around Kathryn's heart that was known as the 'Captain' melted at his words. She knew he loved the life of sleeping and eating at regular schedules, but she also knew that he loved her more than that. The spoon that was traveling from her face back to the soup paused for a moment as Kathryn attempted to deal with that concept. Oh hell, whom was she trying to kid? She knew, the crew knew, anybody with half a brain could tell. Chakotay attempted to be discreet with his feelings toward her, and he did try to keep her feelings paramount and not say or do something that would upset her. She just felt miserable whenever she had to give 'that old lecture' to him time after time. The hurt in his eyes always gave away just how much he was affected by her words. Somewhere deep in her mind, a place she dared not consciously go, Kathryn always hoped that one day Chakotay could make a grand gesture and then press her about a real relationship and her not give that old song and dance. She would gladly give up all her Starfleet back pay to see his face that day.

Blissfully unaware of her contemplations, Chakotay broke the comfortable silence that that had been engulfed in. "You know…" he began and stopped looking very contemplative. Kathryn took a breath. Nothing that starts out like that could be good. "I've heard tell that there's an M-Class planet a little ways from here." Kathryn expelled a breath; today wasn't going to be that same old conversation again. This topic, while still controversial, was far less explosive. Chakotay continued, unaware of her thoughts. "Rumor is that they have space dock that could probably fit Voyager and, best of all, have some beautiful planets with beaches and resorts on them. From what Seven has told me, her scans of some of these planets included large traces of dilithium. I think, although I may be wrong, that someone like B'Elanna would kill for an opportunity like that. To get a space dock and fix some of those hull plates that we've been ignoring because they aren't a priority. I know that she would love just a few hours alone with those nacelles to show them who's boss."

Kathryn could hold back and started laughing. The image of the half Klingon trying to destroy something as big as that with little more than a wrench and a whole lot of determination backing her up. "Yes, I have heard these rumors as well. I have also heard that this land flowing with milk and honey is a little bit of the beaten path." Chakotay snickered briefly. He knew that this would be a sticking point with her. It was the reason this course of action was never really discussed before.

"Just a skosh." Kathryn eyes held the laughter that her mouth didn't convey.

"A skosh? You call about a seven and a half week detour a skosh? Please Chakotay, grant me a little more credit than that. That's about a fifteen week trip both too and from and let's not go including the time we're there. You knew about this station before today, so why now? If we had started this trek a weeks ago, it wouldn't have been so far out of the way, but now…"

Chakotay put down his utensils slowly and Kathryn braced herself for a bucket of ice-cold reality. "Kathryn, you and I both know that this crew has been pushed around a lot over the past few years. This ship… it needs help. B'Elanna is actually talking about completely refitting the core. That's a massive undertaking even with a space port, never mind without one." Taking a calming breath, Chakotay remembered who his audience was and what might make her listen. "You're right, Kathryn. I didn't bring this up, but not because I didn't care, but because I couldn't find a good reason why we should go there. We had the holodecks for relaxation and the technological problems could be managed from the inside. But… then today happened. The crew is anxious. They need something to look forward to again. To you, and to all of us, the Alpha Quadrant is the ultimate prize, but we all… ALL need smaller things in the mean time. We need downtime right now, and we need it quick before someone blows a circuit. Let's face it, working on Voyager doesn't hold a whole lot of draws to most. The pay is lousy, you'll never have a vacation unless you are lucky enough to get married and then we only gave Tom and B'Elanna four days, we have to eat Leola Root when we run out of rations, and… let's face it, a lot of us may not see the place of their birth's ever again. We take shortcut after shortcut and refuse to deviate from our path, but for what? Kathryn, even with all of the ground that we made up, this journey still will probably take us a good thirty to forty years to complete. Why are we so against something like this? Something that is only a few weeks away and could make big difference in the long run?" Having rest his case, Chakotay leaned back and let Kathryn think.

'_Well_,' Kathryn though, '_I expected reality and he didn't disappoint._' "Okay Chakotay, you win. I'll order the change in course." She didn't want to admit it to him or herself for that matter, but even she looked forward to some down time. Today's attack and latest brush with annihilation was the last proverbial straw to many, her included. Suddenly, Janeway felt a soft hand cover hers. Since that episode on Quarra, she and her commander had steadily drifted apart. Her affair with Jaffen had as much impact on him as it did on her. Although Janeway had hoped Chakotay wouldn't bring up their private lives, she found herself doing it instead.

"Chakotay…" she began carefully. He was watching her with an intensity that was unnerving to her, as if he somehow knew what was about to be discussed. "I know we haven't been that close for the past few weeks, but I do appreciate moments like this. I can't say I'm sorry for what happened between Jaffen and I, but who knows, maybe you'll find… someone…" Here Janeway's voice cracked. Jaffen and their adventures on Quarra had never been discussed and now that the topic had been broached Kathryn felt herself exceedingly uncomfortable.

So much as she advocated him moving on, part of her was loath to discuss it. Seeing his obvious discomfiture, Kathryn tried to fix what had knew instinctively had been broken. "Cha…" she started to say, but Chakotay, unwilling to hear this, cut her off with no inkling of humor in his tone. He leaned into the table until they were millimeters apart and he made his anger at her obvious.

"Who says I haven't possibly already found someone? Who says they aren't on the ship? And for that matter, who says that person is you?" '_There, take that_,' Chakotay thought ruthlessly. He still hadn't told her about his dates with Seven, but that was only because there still wasn't anything to report. They might not even go the distance, but he didn't want to listen to this sanctimonious crap.

Janeway had expected him to say many things, but that wasn't one of them. Had he finally gotten over her? That was a good thing; it had to be that way. She wanted him happy, and she had wanted him to move on. Really, she did. Still... "If you did, then I'm happy for you. Maybe you can find what I… can't…" There was no good way to end that, so she didn't even try. Her once delicious food now tasted like sawdust and a heaviness entered her entire being.

For his part, Chakotay sat heart broken but resolved. He would miss no more dinners with Seven.


	4. 04 Experimenting

Experimenting

By: Matthew Shine

Roger Floyd sat on the floor of the holodeck for hours just soaking up data as fast as possible. After he was done reading about the last great war on Earth, the discovery or warp speed and the creation of the Federation, he dived into the finer points of the ship he found himself on. After viewing all of the holograms that had been accessed in the past six weeks (which, to his disliking, included an image of himself), Roger deduced that the majority on Voyager were humans or at the very least liked being around them. There were some… disturbing precedents concerning holograms gaining real lives. He read about how Professor Moriarty took the Enterprise hostage so that he and his girlfriend could leave the holodeck and experience the work of living beings. Captain Picard's resolution to that was astonishingly simple, yet brilliant all the same. Obviously when he approached the captain of this vessel, a woman named Kathryn Janeway, he would have to use a bit more… tact.

Upon completion of the final paragraphs, Roger felt that he had made a break through in his research. It seemed that the only reason that the holograms could be taken off the holodeck is that no holoemitters were set up in the majority of the ship. It seemed that the only other place that the holodecks that had the emitters was sickbay, as the doctor was also a hologram. However, with the replicators at his disposal, Roger was confident that he could rig up a system that could make it possible to make a hologram real. Quickly requesting a holographic computer and lab setup, the determined hologram set out to try and make something relatively simple real enough to go through the 'gate of eternity' as he now playfully called it. Quickly realizing that no holographic replicator could fit the bill, Roger thought for a moment.

"Computer, is there an unused replicator on board Voyager right now? I mean one that hasn't been used in at least a month or two?" Roger could only hope that he didn't take one from a populated area and raise peoples suspicious too much. As it was, he was no doubt using a formidable amount of the ships energy.

**Affirmative. Replicator #360-A is presently in Cargo Bay 2 and hasn't been used in approximately 4.6 years** Pay dirt.

"Computer, are transporters available at the present time?"

**Affirmative**

"Computer, lock on to said replicator and beam it too holodeck one immediately."

No sooner had Roger finished the words did he hear a high pitch squeal come from behind him. It a flash of blue, something not much bigger than a microwave appeared at his feet. Lifting it up, Roger powered it on and ordered a plain blue pen. When it nothing happened, Roger picked it up and examined it. Remembering what he had read about replicator rations, he unscrewed the back of the replicator up to his computer. After much in the way of trial and error, he was successful in hacking into the replicator and was shocked at how much it was preprogrammed to do. Stationary, food, teas, and for some reason an ungodly amount of coffee recipes.

Ignoring that, Roger opened up the holodeck control panel on the wall again and inspected what he saw. He could plainly see two gel packs sitting there, but one was ripped open quite violently. He had noticed the blue packs, but not knowing what they where, didn't care about them all that much. Now, however, he looked at them with reverence, as they were no doubt all that separated him from this and being stuck in that damned computer again. Pulling out the tattered of the gel packs gently out of its holder and placed it on his new work desk. Using what he could, Roger repaired it enough so that it no longer leaked and then hooked it up directly to the replicator. He noticed with enthrallment that all of a sudden, the replicator read that he had access to hundreds of rations.

Thanking whatever was out there that most called God, Roger reordered the pen. In rapt fascination, he witnessed the pen appear out of nowhere. Picking it up, Roger noticed that he couldn't bend it or melt it with his heat vision. Not knowing the answer, he decided to pose the question to his own personal oracle.

"Computer, why is it that I cannot bend this pen? In my program, I should have the ability to do so."

**Holodeck safety protocols are online. No non-holographic item can be damaged in the holodeck while these are on** Go figure. The holodeck is malfunctioning yet the safeties still work. Still… that explains why Paris always seemed to escape the narrow situations without harm. It would be pretty hard to get hurt if the bullets were nothing to him but ghosts. Tom Paris. Roger was defiantly going to have to talk with him about some of the programming choices Paris made on his behalf. That could wait until later however.

Walking over towards the arch, Roger threw the newly created pen through the door and watch it hit the opposite wall, bounce off and hit the floor. Turning about face, Roger confidently ordered the holodeck provide him with a book and watched as it vanished when it too was thrown through the gate. Looking at the replicator, Roger realized something that he hadn't before: how was he even going to try replicating himself when the thing was so small? Looking back at how well the holographic desktop computer and the real replicator were 'talking,' Roger started to disassemble the replicator.

Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay strode onto the bridge for the commencement of the Alpha shift. After their dinner the night before, Chakotay had made a rather lame excuse as too why he had to run off and leave Janeway there to work alone. Kathryn didn't like this. They were once again dancing around each other. At least this time it wasn't anything TOO major. '_Besides, didn't he mention something about someone else on the ship?' _Kathryn had scolded herself continually since her comments. She did care about Chakotay, and under different circumstances (like any other than this), she would have gladly 'rocked his world' to use Paris talk. The fact was that is she and he ever had a relationship, she could just kiss her career away. '_Oh, but it would be worth it.' _Kathryn physically gasped at the heresy of her own thoughts. Nothing was worth the death of all that she worked so hard to achieve. Looking over at her first officer, Kathryn watched him yawn and stretch his arms over his head, and for a moment, witnessed his uniform tunic mold perfectly to his chest. '_Okay, maybe some things are worth it.'_

Bolting out of her seat with that latest thought, Kathryn quickly gave Chakotay the bridge and informed everyone that there would be a senior staff meeting in 20 minutes, and fled into her ready room, seeking asylum.

Chakotay saw Kathryn watching him before she made her hasty departure and he concocted a yawn that might help her… conscious along with the bumpy ride it was enduring when it thought of their relationship. Chakotay was no imbecile; he knew that she was checking him out and he also knew that her words last night came from a person obviously in deep seeded conflict with themselves. Something was happening inside of her. Something was obviously was making itself known and gaining in the internal battles that he was sure raged inside of her. Being a good friend, Chakotay would usually let her off the hook and allow her internal battles to go on without him adding fuel to one side or the other. Brining up Jaffen and then that comment last night about him possibly finding love cracked him though. She knew how sensitive that subject was.

Remembering relationships other than Kathryn, the Commander turned his mind over to Seven. Their past three dates hadn't been all bad and she was even beginning to lighten up around him and he around her. Resolving not to do a act foolishly, Chakotay insisted that this go very slow. At least, that is what his mind was saying. His heart reminded him that it was his failed dinner with the Captain last night had forced him to cancel out on Seven. Once again, his feeling about Janeway were taking precedent, but this thing with Seven might really go somewhere and he wasn't going to try and derail it.

Nineteen minutes later on the dot, Kathryn's ready room door chimed for admittance. Reluctantly giving it, she watched as her valiant senior staff filed in and took their respective seats. Upon informing them that they would be taking a detour to the space station that they had heard rumors, Kathryn almost found herself blown backwards by the gust wind from everyone's sigh of relief. B'Elanna almost led a wave in Janeway's honor and even Tuvok and Seven seemed to be visually relieved.

By far, the most disconcerting news was from B'Elanna. Voyager couldn't go above warp 5 until they managed to get at the outer nacelles and work on them. Another real problem was that some of the bio neural gel packs had been damaged beyond repair, but the doctor had been working on those (albeit without much in the way of success). Overall, repairs where going as they always went: slowly.

Janeway ended the meeting and dismissed them all, Chakotay a little more hesitantly. She knew that she should talk to the man, but there was nothing that she could tell him that would make him happy that wouldn't be in violation of Starfleet protocol. She half expected him to remain but was unsurprised when he didn't. Lord knows she would be angry if she were in his shoes, but still…

Both spent the shift in different areas, both refusing to extend the Olive branch.

Roger was finished with his latest creation. It had taken him about nine hours, but it was worth it. Nothing of the old replicator was distinguishable other than the casing, which was overflowing with wires all attached to the motherboard. There were two crystal chambers both about six and a half feet tall with the controls on a center consol. Placing a holographic book that Roger had signed with a holographic pen into one of the chambers, Roger clicked a button and watched. On his computer screen, he watched as the replicator was making a detail map of what was being transferred from hologram into real book. He prayed that this would work.

All of a sudden, the book vanished from one of the chambers and materialized in the other. Opening up the second chamber, Roger picked the book up and smelled it. It had the same smell that he had especially gave the other one and, filliping it open, saw the signature on the inside jacket. This was the first item that he had tried that had gotten this far. The others would vanish but not come out on the other side.

Walking to the arch, Roger threw the book through with more than a little trepidation and watched it hit the other wall and come to rest on the floor along with the pen from several hours ago. With satisfaction renewed, Roger turned on his heel and went back to the computer. This was a break though, but not exactly what he had in mind for a 'grand finale.'

Ordering a holographic gel pack, Roger put it into the chamber where he put the holographic book in the first place. This was the key difference. He had actually discovered the genetic code that packs worked on. In his theory, Roger felt that he could put the holographic gel pack into the chamber to give the replicator a blueprint for what the end product should look like. Normally, replicators couldn't do living things, as they couldn't replicate the DNA, RNA and the genetic code that all living things had. Well, to fool this technology, Roger had made it so that when the replicator ran, it would route through the computer, which would have the genetic print for the replicator to copy into a functional strand that would then (hopefully) be combined into cells and the cells arranged in order of the original hologram. Luckily, he had access to this first gel pack and the plasma inside and the knowledge as too how to isolate the genetics of the original. The book faded because when this process happened, the actual photons where used in the process. It was the same book, just real.

Holding his breath, Roger flipped the switch and watched the gel pack fade and the computer and replicator start 'talking.' After a few seconds, he watched the gel pack reemerge on the other side. Not wanting to get ahead of himself on this one, Roger quickly opened the chamber up and pulled the pack out. Using a sort of 'micro vision', Roger clearly saw all of the little microbes at he had scene in the original. Breathing deeply, Roger knew that it was time for the acid test, the gate.

Walking calmly over to the arch, Roger half extended the pack into the hallway, enough to have it be free of the emitters for the first time but not enough so that his hand wouldn't vanish. To mark this, Roger had placed a holographic ruler in the same hand. When the ruler vanished but the gel pack didn't, he knew it was real. To see if he had achieved success and recreated life, Roger looked at the bag with hope gleaming in his eyes. Using his 'micro vision' once again on the gel pack, Roger saw that there was no difference. The gel pack was still alive and appeared to have not suffered at all from being out of the holodeck.

Sitting down at the computer, Roger made a check of the number of rations he had left. The number was horribly low. Oddly, the book had only taken about a few, but the pack had taken hundreds. Correctly guessing that this was due to the complexity of the job of creating the strands of DNA, Roger looked around in momentary frustration. He knew that this entire ship had power, but how could he take some?

He glanced around in anger. He had worked hours on this, how could he just give up now? The holodeck panel still unfastened caught his eye. He looked at where the first gel pack was stored and a thought struck him. Looking back at his chamber, he started grinning. Sending a glance toward the gel pack, he spoke to it. "This could work!"

That gel pack might have helped him get power before, but that's only because it had some stored. Why buy milk when you've got the cow at home? Lord knows that the core was one hell of a big cow at that. Rigging the replicator directly up to the empty gel pack slot wasn't easy, but he had sufficient reason to work as hard and fast as he could.

When completed thirty minutes later, Roger saw his ration numbers in the trillions. That had to be enough for something his size. Taking a sample of blood he had once examined from himself, Roger entered his genetic code into the computer, took a breath and entered the chamber. In his life, he had faced countless enemies and been emotionally tortured more than anyone should; but of all of that time, he was most nervous now. This could kill him. He might not be able to come back from this one, and worst of all, he knew it.

Then again, what good is life knowing that it isn't real? Roger had that insight now and it wasn't going to go away with any amount of erasing. Using a form of telekinesis, Roger flipped the switch and felt the beam from the inside the chamber hit him. His last sight was the computer starting to run his genetic code for the replicator.


	5. 05 Welcome to the Machine

**Welcome to the Machine**

By: Matthew Shine

Kathryn Janeway was still in her ready room when she felt the ship drop out of warp. Wondering what was wrong and why she wasn't told, she jumped to her feet and started for the door. The bridge was pandemonium. Lights were flickering, systems were failing and there was no reason why. Janeway headed for the Opps station manned by Harry Kim.

"Mr. Kim, what's going on?" Janeway didn't like this. They were still weeks away from that port and if the ship just died they were in severe trouble.

"Unknown captain. There appears to be a massive energy drain on holodeck one." Harry looked up with real fear in his eyes. The last time something even remotely like this happened, that alien was taking people hostage in that ancient England program.

"Okay. Seven, do you read me? What the hell is going on? Why are we having this power drain? Anybody in engineering report."

**"Captain, this is Torres. Something on Holodeck One is sucking power from all over the ship."**

"B'Elanna, why are you in engineering? It doesn't matter, haven't the holodeck's been fixed yet?" The Captains mood was caustic. If this were caused because someone simply ignored their duties, head would roll.

"**Negative Captain. Holodecks were put on the end of the list of priorities. But Captain, nothing on the holodeck should be causing this sort of problem."**

Janeway took a breath in resignation. "Very well." Janeway was about to plan their next step when everything just started coming back online. "What now?"

"**Captain, for some reason, the power drain has ended. Systems are coming back and the core isn't losing power."**

"Very well. Meet me outside Holodeck One right away. Janeway Out." Nodding to Tuvok and Chakotay (both of whom were still on the bridge after hours) to follow her, the three silently entered the turbo lift.

Roger Floyd didn't know of the problems that plagued the ship, all he knew was that one moment he was in the first chamber and the next he was in the second. Stepping out of it, he shook his head (which now throbbed like no tomorrow). His normally crystal clear mind was now foggy and refused to work for him. His memory seemed fractured and his body felt it weighed he had just completed rigorous exercise. His legs burned and arms felt like soft pasta noodles. Sitting down for a moment, his mind cleared a bit more as did the memory what his master plan was. Moving carefully, he poked his hand out of the holodeck arch and found it still intact. Overwhelmed with emotion, he ran through and kissed the bulkhead that he had watched, but could never touch. It worked; he wasn't a hologram anymore. He was… real. Banging his fist against the bulkhead Roger made a starling observation… it hurt. Focusing his concentration on the wall, he found his heat vision didn't work. Trying another avenue he found he could not see through things. He made a half-hearted attempt at leaping into the air and came crashing down to the floor, his knees not too happy with the sudden jarring.

Floyd crawled over his crystal chamber and held his injured knees and emotions close to him. Looking deep inside himself, he couldn't feel the deep power reserve he had always felt. The process should have worked. It had his DNA and from what he had theorized earlier in his life, the powers were incorporated in his genetics somehow. The transformation should have worked. For fifteen years, he struggled with being 'different,' but had always recognized they were both a blessing and a curse. For so long, his powers were there helping him, giving him an edge that no one else had… and now he was alone. Was this the price of freedom? Dropping his head in shame, the new human fought against a wall of misery quickly closing in on him. How would he get out of this?

Roger realized he didn't have long to think as he started hearing footsteps coming from all directions. Without his powers to help him, he honestly didn't know what to do. Maybe he could get Tom to help him. Tom might help him make these people understand who he was… or, who he used to be. Silently, he waited. Hearing some people gasp, he looked up at them, his eyes still red. 

Kathryn Janeway and B'Elanna Torres had seen a lot in their collective time in the field of engineering, but nothing like this. There sat a younger man, attractive but in older style clothes, in the middle of the oddest holodeck program either of them had ever seen. There were two large towers made out of some sort of crystal or glass hooked up to a large computer and all of that was rigged into what looked vaguely like a replicator that had obviously seen better days. The icing on the cake was that all of the was hooked into the holodeck control panel. That might account for the power drop, but not the weeping man.

Very carefully, Janeway made her way over to Roger while Torres checked out the panel. Tuvok and Chakotay had already drawn their phasers, but their actions had gone mostly unnoticed.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Janeway thought that maybe he was a hologram, but holograms shouldn't be in programs like this. Pulling her tricorder out, the Captain saw that he was indeed a real person, but didn't look like any crewmember that she could remember.

Slowly, Roger got to his feet and properly shook Janeway's hand. "Forgive me miss, I am Roger Floyd. Former hologram and recent addition to your human race."

Janeway's eyes widened as Torres' head snapped around. It wasn't possible. No replicator could produce life; it wasn't possible. "Um, I'm Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Star Ship Voyager. Forgive me, but that's not possible. Holograms can't become real people."

Hearing her name, Roger could feel his memory trying to come up with some sort of connection. It sounded familiar, but from where he couldn't tell. Like a bolt of lightning, he recalled reading about Voyager and it's Captain (although a face wasn't included in her biography). Ignoring this momentary, but troubling, detour in though, Roger simply walked over to his computer, ignoring the two phasers trained on him. He picked up a scrapbook that he had been taking notes in and passively held it halfway through the arch. Nobody was surprised when it partially vanished. Pulling it back inside, Roger walked back to the crystal chambers and deposited the notebook into one of the sides. Flicking the switch, the group looked on as it vanished from one side and reappeared on the other. Lifting it up, the young man this time threw it through the arch and watched with satisfaction as it sailed through and hit the wall with a slight thud. "Interesting huh?"

It was Torres that was talking now. "That was just a notebook. Replicators do paper all of the time; people are different. And besides, holograms can't know of Voyager unless they are programmed to."

Roger closed his eyes and took a calming breath. "Blame yourselves." At their startled expressions he continued, "Something happened a few days ago and this room suffered a malfunction and let me interact with Voyager's computers and learn about your systems. I saved my program into an alternate file so that if it were fixed, I wouldn't loose the memories. As for how I replicated live tissue out of holographic one's, well let me show you."

Kathryn nodded her head at Roger and gave Tuvok and Chakotay a silent order to holster their weapons. Floyd sat down in one of the chairs and casually invited the others to do the same. Both B'Elanna and Kathryn took him up on it, Chakotay and Tuvok didn't.

"Okay, where to begin? This is a typical replicator, or was from your Cargo Bay. I had the computer do a site-to-site transport. I hooked the replicators' motherboard into this modified desktop computer of my own design. By doing this, I was able to hack into the primary functions that the replicator can do. Is everyone with me?" Seeing everyone nod, he pushed onwards. "I started simply. First I did this book here." Holding up a hefty copy of 'War and Piece', Roger allowed them all to see it. "I was able to create these chambers by examining what actually did the replicating. I noticed that there were crystals inside of them and that's what allowed the process to continue. Sort of like a lens using the sun to start a fire. Anyhow, I built these, because in the end I wanted to make myself real."

B'Elanna interrupted slightly. "But, replicators take rations."

"True, but when I took the damaged gel pack out of the control panel over there, I was given hundreds of rations because the replicator was now using what was left of the stored energy to fuel it." Kathryn and B'Elanna looked at him like he was a heretic and the former had heard enough.

"Hold on! Gel packs aren't exactly easy to get in these parts. What you did can kill them and out here every one has to be kept in perfect condition for as long as possible." B'Elanna nodded her head at this emphatically.

"Yes, and I know that. However, I'll have you know that I replicated one of those gel packs, so actually, you can get them anytime you want." Hearing gasps, Roger picked himself up again and walked over to the gel pack that he first created. "See this little guy? He's alive and in perfect condition. An hour ago, he didn't exist. To my knowledge, this is the first replicated piece of life on this ship."

B'Elanna and Kathryn jumped to their feet. To get new gel packs whenever they needed them was the best news that they could hear, especially now when so many where damaged in the last battle. Using tricorders, both were amazed when the young mans claims proved true. It was a gel pack that seemed to be little over two hours old. They looked at each other with astonishment.

Breaking away from the two women Roger found himself in the company of the two men. One was dark skin and had pointy ears with a completely expressionless face; the other was white (or red) and had an odd tattoo over his left eye. For some reason that he didn't get, the tattoo, like Janeway's name before, reminded him of something. Certainly it couldn't have been in his original program or his biography the computer supplied, as they didn't include a picture. To the young mans joy, his mind had cleared a great deal and he dismissed this as something that would no doubt come back to him.

"Roger Floyd. I haven't heard too many comments from either of you. Unless you count the gasps as being conversation starters." The man with the red and black uniform and black hair was not only full of emotions; Roger could feel them quite easily. Actually, it kind of reminded him of when he was still a holo-character, the ability to feel emotion. Shaking hands with both men, Roger was awarded a half-grin from the red guy and a raised eyebrow from the dark one (a greeting he supposed).

The man with the tattoo addressed himself first. "Chakotay of Dorvan five. I'm Voyager's First Officer." Chakotay saw Roger's eyes widen at mention of Dorvan, but decided to let it go. "I'm just amazed that a hologram alive for less than an hour solved one of Voyager's bigger problems."

The dark man was next. "Tuvok of Vulcan. Like Commander Chakotay, I am surprised at this turn of events. I am the Chief Security Officer aboard Voyager and Second Officer." Having had his fingers discreetly on his phaser since being ordered to holster it, Tuvok slowly lowered his hand to his side.

"Pleased to meet both of you. I know of Vulcan and Dorvan." Seeing more confusion, Roger found himself elaborating more. "I read the history of Earth and then the Federation and then histories of the Federation residents. In my world, it was 1999. Needless to say, I had a little history lesson to go through." Chakotay broke in, once more confused.

"You've only been alive for about fifteen minutes, how could have read all that?"

"While I may have been physically alive for only a quarter of an hour, I have been self aware for going on two days. As for the reading, it took me about 3 hours to read the entire history and some of the technical aspects of the ship." Seeing both men nod, Roger turned back to the women. Torres was coming at him like a freight train with the new gel pack in hand.

"Okay, how? How did you do this?"

Giving himself a private smile, Roger sat down at his trusty desktop and started explaining about his theories of genetic makeup in relation to the replicating processes and how all of that nonsense was incorporated into his machine, which Torres and Janeway now looked at with much appreciation.


	6. 06 Sickbay

Sickbay

By: Matthew Shine

Two hours after Tuvok, Torres, Chakotay and Janeway first found Roger Floyd, they escorted him into sickbay. Both Torres and Janeway had ordered a security detail at the doors of Holodeck One and no one was allowed inside or under any circumstances to shut the program that was running off. B'Elanna had plans of going back there later on with an engineering team and crack the secrets that thing had. A machine that could create gel packs should be treated like a raw dilithium mine. Actually, if it could replicate forms of life, a dilithium mine it might actually become.

Upon calling the EMH, everyone noticed Roger cringe. "Sorry, I just keep remembering how much I was afraid that someone would come into the holodeck and see my work and undo it all." Janeway nodded to him with a compassionate look in her eyes.

Ignoring the conversation, the EMH scanned Roger with a medical tricorders and found himself having to look at the readings a couple of times. Doubting his own voice, the doctor had to ask his questions. "What seems to be the problem?"

Noticing that the hologram seemed to loose some of his trademark cockiness, the resident Voyager's found themselves smiling. "I have a headache. I haven't had one in about twelve years." The doctor looked at him in carefully.

"Well, let's see… you have no food in your stomach and no trace of it anywhere in you system, yet your body seems to accept that. You have no traces of ingested water in your body but are not, somehow, going into even a very light stage of dehydration. Your blood sugar level is perfect, and with blood pressure like this, you'll likely live forever. On top of that, your claim of not having a headache for twelve years is inaccurate as, according to this, you are less than six hours old. Oh, by the way, you're not completely human." Roger's eyes snapped up at the last line. When he lost his powers in the change, he figured that the replicator and the computer couldn't read the extra differences and his DNA was simply reverted to a completely human format. If he were wrong, if the genetic anomaly that he labeled Optimus survived, did that mean it might come back?

"Well, this should help." The doctor picked up a hypospray and pressed it to Roger's neck. The EMH's eyebrows furrowed. Pulling it away, he scanned it and pressed to Roger's neck once more, but nothing happened. "Odd, this isn't working. Let me get another." The EMH disappeared into his office and out of the voice range of the group around the biobed.

Kathryn noticed the look on Roger's face of joy. "What is it? Why are you so… happy all of a sudden?"

Apologizing briefly, Roger tried to explain who he was on the holodeck. "Captain, on the holodeck, I wasn't what one could call normal." Seeing a perfect Tuvok expression cross her face, Floyd pressed on. "When I was created, my programmer gave me some interesting… abilities. Flight, incredible speed, x-ray vision, heat vision and a whole host of others. They never had a logical explanation, until I examined my DNA when I got to college. It was slightly different from the average humans. When I first stepped out of that chamber a few hours ago, I had no powers and thought that maybe the replicator didn't do that variation. But, if your doctor here says that I'm not entirely human, maybe it survived. Obviously if that… thing… couldn't go through my skin, it's reemerging. If it does and I get all of my old powers back, I may be more of an asset than you presently think." Roger and the group went silent for a moment. "You know, the last time I had this kind of headache was when my vision powers started to assert themselves. Hold on for a moment."

Roger, looking down at Janeway, squinted for a few seconds and finally started to grin only to be have it be replaced by a look of shock and embarrassment. Quickly turning his head away, Roger felt himself blush. Janeway steeled herself in preparation of asking the question, and Chakotay felt his viscera go cold. "What did you see?" Janeway's voice was low, and Roger started feeling glad that his powers were starting to come back to him now. Both the captain and the first officer seemed to be supremely unhappy with their newest resident right now.

"Well. You wouldn't ask the question unless you intended on getting an answer, so here it is: my x-ray vision is working." Seeing that nobody really cared about that except him, he added to his answer. "I saw through you tunic to you Starfleet issue tank top. I thought that it would stop there, but instead I saw through that as well down to your bra." Seeing anger mount in both sets of eyes and laugher in the Chief Engineers, Roger added what little he could to save himself. "That started to disappear as well, but I turned my head in time to not see anything… underneath that." Seeing the anger waver a bit, Roger rallied. "I know that you don't know me yet, but please believe me when I say that I had no intention of it getting that far. When I was growing up, I had this same problem. It would just kick in, but after a while I could control so that it only worked when I wanted it too, and then only as far as I wanted it too."

Janeway realized that it wasn't really his fault. The transition he was no doubt going through was bound to cause some problems. "Well, at least you looked away in time. In the future, please limit your viewing to what would be considered appropriate and not people." Roger blushed a bit more, but stopped when the EMH returned.

"Alright, this one should work better." Placing it too Roger's neck, nothing happened again. Roger hopped off of the biobed and started looking around.

"Hey, do you have a replicator handy?" The EMH, doubting the mans anatomy and his own perception of reality, nodded and pointed to a wall opposite their current location.

Roger almost skipped over to it and ordered a four inch serrated steak knife. The group watched in paralyzed fascination as Roger rolled up his sleeve and put the knife to his bare wrist. The hologram was about to call out when Roger swiftly slashed down onto himself. Everyone closed their eyes, not wanting to see the blood, but opened them when they heard Roger laughing. The knife blade was warped and bent and his arm, other than a little white line that was quickly disappearing had no injury. There was a gleam in Roger's eye. "It's coming back." He dropped the knife into the recycler and reclaimed the energy.

The EMH ran over to him to check his arm. "How… how did you do that?" Roger looked up at Janeway and silently asked for her permission to tell his tale and she just nodded her head. Taking a breath, Roger sat down again and started.

"I… I was a hologram that could do that sort of thing." Seeing the doctor backing up in disbelief, Roger held out his hand in a showing of meaning no harm. "That's why I have memories of twelve years ago, yet my body is only a few hours old. That's why I have no food or water in my system; yet, by your own admission I am in perfect health. That's why I can put a knife to my wrist and not get hurt. In the holodeck program, I had that power, and it came over with me."

The EMH sat down and found himself gasping. It answered a lot of questions, but it did raise others. "It that why the ship suffered a power failure? You were turning yourself real?" At Roger's nod, the EMH let the scientist programs in him kick on. "I thought that replicators couldn't do living things like people."

Hearing the explanation had drawn the doctor felt the last remnants of his disbelief being kicked aside. When he heard about what was in holodeck one and that they could create gel packs he really got revved up. The basic questions were all precursors to the major one. "Can you turn me human?"

Of all the questions the doctor asked, this one was asked with the most trepidation. He reminded Roger of a little boy asking if he could go with his parents after he had done something bad. For a moment, Janeway's heart went out to the EMH. She always tried to remember that the doctor carried a very unique cross. He was an artist, but couldn't rightfully publish his work because he didn't have the ability to copyright of sign a contract. He had the ability to love, but whom could he love but a hologram and not have to fear watching them die? Janeway would hate to hate to refuse him, but Roger, who obviously had more experience in this area, saved her.

"Well, I might be able to do so, but you should think long and hard about this. You're a doctor with an inability too have biological problems. You can't sneeze in the middle of surgery; your nerves aren't being frayed by the passage of time. All of the knowledge that you have can't be lost to the years. You are nearly a perfect doctor. I have heard a little about you and your love of singing, well that would go away. Human voices simply can't stretch like that, so that would be gone pretty quickly. Your body has never had an illness to get immune to, so you most likely spend the first few weeks, if not months, recovering. Does that all sound like something you would like to have happen? It is not happening too me because I have the genetic anomaly that is preventing it, you would not." The EMH's face had gone pale as the list progressed.

"Well, you know…" The doctor clearly was having some second and third thoughts about exploring humanity that up close. "This crew does need a good physician who can't get sick, and perhaps I could do it someday, after Voyager gets to the Alpha Quadrant." Everyone nodded quickly in agreement. "Oh, one more question: who's your creator?"

Janeway's ears perked up at this. She had meant to ask that as well, but had just forgotten after a while. Whoever made him knew what they were doing.

"His name in my simulation was 'Tom Paris,' I don't know if that's his real name or not. I saw that name in a crew manifest, but I don't know if it is the same person. I only believe it's him because my activation date was the same day I met him and when I gained self awareness for the first time, we had been right in the middle of a conversation. Suddenly, he was gone and I started talking to the computer. Why?"

The expressions on all of the faces darkened, even the Vulcan seemed a bit more disturbed. It was becoming increasingly obvious to Roger that Tom had established himself a name on this ship. Kathryn slapped her combadge. "Janeway to Paris, come to sickbay immediately. You have a friend waiting for you here. Janeway out." Her voice rang of rage and imminent death to anyone who dared confront her.

"Um, is he in trouble because of me?" Tom may have made some bad judgments about his programming, but Roger just couldn't turn away from the friendship that they had after that.

Janeway looked up and regarded Roger kindly. "No, Mr. Paris did nothing wrong. It wouldn't be right for me to punish him for a malfunction." Seeing Roger's confused expression, Janeway continued. "But Mr. Paris doesn't know that."

A smile broke out on their faces, and Roger just sat down and waited for the doomed man to come in.


	7. To The Mess Hall We Go

To the Mess Hall We Go

By: Matthew Shine

Tom's grilling in sickbay had been both swift and painless. Although Janeway made it out to be that she was upset, and she was for the massive power drain, her joy at the concept of replicating gel packs out weighed it. Tom, like the others, couldn't believe that the character that he had created was a hologram no longer and refused to believe it until he saw both Roger and doctor both walk out of sickbay with the Doc on the emitter. Although he was able to talk to Tom about his invention, Janeway and Chakotay had forbidden anything to be told to anyone else.

When both men asked what would be answered when people started asking about the previously unknown man, Janeway just suggested that his past would be told to the crew shortly, but not quite yet. She had plans of telling the entire ship of who he really was, but not until they had that… thing… in Holodeck One figured out and working in a permanent place. Under the watchful eye of the EMH, Floyd spent his first night in sickbay so that the doctor could get a physical workup done. By far the most irritating part of this… examination… to Roger was when he had to bit down on his lip hard enough to draw a sample of blood. No tool (or weapon) in the EMH's arsenal worked and in the end, and in the end figured if Floyd's skin was that strong, his teeth and muscles should be enough to cut it and was rewarded with a quick spurt of crimson. The sample had to be collected fast as the blood had already stopped flowing within seconds, a scab in ten minutes and clear skin by the end of the hour.

After the relatively uneventful night, Janeway allowed Roger into the public areas of the ship, feeling that they would have to get used to him sooner or later. Tom had been given a work shift off to take Roger around the ship to orientate the former hologram with Voyager's design and where some of the key places where. The nickel tour of Voyager had allowed them to talk for the first time on equal ground. Always before, a computer answered the responses to any inquiry Paris posed and it was difficult adjusting to the knowledge that this was no longer the case.

"So, what's it like so far? Must be similar to the… other place." He hadn't wanted to sound too fearful, but now Roger knew that Tom had made some pretty drastic life choices for the once hologram. To be frank, the pilot feared reprisal.

Roger knew exactly what Paris was trying to do: mostly avoid the topic, but graze it so it could be said that the attempt was made. "There are differences. This place has a different feeling to it. I can almost feel the life around me. In retrospect, the city had a very sterile feeling. Oh sure, there was oxygen and actual life, but looking back at it, I can remember the falseness of it. As for this life, it's not all that bad. I must say, it's a lot like being a hologram. Of course, I control my own destiny here, not somebody else."

Tom swallowed audibly. "I deserved that."

Roger snapped. "No, you deserve more than that! Your decisions have affected my entire life, and whether or not I wasn't really alive or not there isn't of discussion." Stopping abruptly, Roger pulled Tom into an alcove cut into the hallway. "Listen to me Tom and I want you to listen good. I have done some research into some of those other programs that you have created and let me tell you something that will NEVER fully understand: they might not be real, but they do have feelings. When they see death and it's allowed to be remembered, they hurt just like real people. They might not be self-aware, but they do know pain. And what's even worse is that even if it is programmed out, something of that trauma always exists. It doesn't just go away, even if the memory does." Walking away from Tom, Roger heard him catch up fairly quick. "After learning about the program and the plot to my… story… a bit further, I started to understand your reasons; but that doesn't excuse you from what you did." Seeing the pained expression of his cohort, Roger lost the smugness and once mighty temper. "Well, who knows? Maybe you can teach me how to write programs and show me some of the other ones already created in person."

Tom's entire body relaxed. "Rog, I am sorry about that. I never knew about holograms never really forgetting, and I'm really sorry about what I made happen to you." At this Tom hesitated. "I… I still have her character saved in the system, so if you want to see… her, you know… you could." Looking up from the floor he had been keenly studying, Tom found the familiar double doors of their destination. "Come on, here's the Mess Hall. Let's get something to eat." Seeing Roger nod his head in compliance, a sense of remorse shot through Paris again when he thought about… that part of Roger's personality. But, that was in the past. From here on in, Roger controlled his destiny and that was just fine with both of them.

Arriving at the Mess Hall doors, Floyd's once contented expression seemed to change to something akin to horror. "Um, Tom? I know that the Mess Hall on a ship is normally were crewmembers converge to eat, but my nose is picking something very wrong on the other side of that door." Roger watched in exasperation as Tom broke down into laughter. Opening the door, Roger was actually knocked backwards by an odor far stronger than any hit he had ever been dealt. "Good lord, what the hell is that?" Tom tried to reign in his laughter but found he was unable; this was going be fun.

Leading Roger into the Mess Hall, even Paris had to admit that Chell's latest creation called 'food' was a bit more pungent than normal. Conversations all across the room ground to a halt, as about thirty eyes seemed to rivet themselves Tom and the stranger with whom he spoke. New faces weren't something that happened a lot on Voyager, especially one that looked human, so when it did people took note. Upon further inspection, they all noticed that he wasn't dressed in normal Starfleet clothing, but rather 20th century style garments. Seeing them both pick up trays was comical, as the stranger seemed visibly disturbed by what he saw was breakfast. Often, Neelix made an attempt at recreating Alpha Quadrant dishes so that the crew didn't feel so far away from their homes (something that Chell now did in honor of the former cook), but today is was another Delta Quadrant special.

Sitting down at a table, Roger used what he had regained for microscopic vision, and peered into the purple past that resembled watered down mashed potatoes. He was actually impressed. It might not look like much, but it was loaded with proteins and vitamins. So rich in nutrients was the… pulp… it was like a plate full of One-a-Day's. Lifting the metal fork that was ladened with goop, Roger took a taste. It had the texture of orange juice pulp and the taste of a rind left out in the sun for a little too long. Dropping his utensil into the tray, he pushed it away deciding that he was just about finished with eating for now. For a moment, he actually felt relaxed (and a bit disturbed that Tom actually ate this garbage without so much as a wince), but that went away quickly as Roger felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end for a moment and forced himself to not jump to his feet. Doing so would have no doubt ripped the booth from the floor and soaked Tom with this paint looking stuff. Then again, maybe that had some possibilities…

Slowly, turning around, the former hologram saw an odd looking man with blue skin had his eyes on him and heading their way. He looked like a friendly sort with the large, jolly smile on his face. He wore a StarFleet uniform and a rank bar rather than pips, like Commander Chakotay if he recalled. Briefly, the former hologram considered whether or not this was some sort of clown coming over to amuse them, but that possibility flew away as Roger noticed that this… being, was wearing an apron, and Roger knew immediately this man was one of the ship's chefs and no doubt coming to see who his newest guinea pig was.

When Chell had taken over the job of Voyager's cook, he knew that he had large shoes to kill. Neelix has made it known that he wanted to know everybody on a first name basis and the new ruler of the Mess Hall vowed to do the same. It was something he simply felt he had to do in order to be a proper replacement for Neelix and officer to Captain Janeway, who had entrusted in him with this most vital role. For countless hours, the man had searched Voyager's database to glean enough information to know at least the name and the face of every person on board this vessel. Therefore it threw Chell for a loop when one of his favorite customers walked in with someone who Chell had never met. Well, if he were new to this section, Chell was simply going to have to find out all about him.

Roger noticed that when the little man had arrived besides their table, conversation's that had started back up since their entry had once again froze. This entire room seemed to be interested in who he was, yet this creature was the only one who had dared to approach the table. Realizing at once questions would be asked and sending Tom a pleading look that told him to find a way out, Roger looked back up at the little man who was obviously gathering his thoughts.

"Um, good morning Mr. Paris. Are you and your friend enjoying breakfast?" Raising his eyebrows, Roger quietly reassessed the unidentified man and hopped that his companion would not play around with him.

Tom didn't. "Sorry about that Chell, this is my friend Roger. Roger, this is Voyager's cook Chell." Remember his manners, Roger stood to his full height, and towered over the Bolian who actually started backing up. Extending his hand with a genuine smile on his face, Roger greeted the man.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Chell. I must say that this breakfast is quite…unique." The bass from Roger's voice almost vibrated the windows and did make a few of the females drop whatever they were holding. Paris was impressed. Roger was using more of his Optimus persona now than he did on the holodeck.

"Thank you, thank you." Chell stepped forward and happily shook Roger's hand and complimented him on his grip. Tom almost broke out into laughter. If he wanted to, Roger could rearrange every bone in the cook's hand before anybody knew that happened. Chell, however, was blissfully unaware of Tom's thoughts as he told Roger to sit to eagerly start asking questions. Seeing a warning look from Tom, Chell backtracked a bit. "Well, enough about me. I haven't seen you around here before, are you a passenger or crewmember? Not too many people get by me, as I'm sure Tom told you by now."

"Heh, I'm sure Tom meant no disrespect by failing to mention your accomplishments. As for me, actually, I'm just a passenger for right now, but I hope to be joining the ranks shortly as a fully recognized member of your illustrious crew, so you can expect to see a bit more of me in the future." Both Roger and Tom were aware of the murmurs that spread through a lot of the women present and even some of the men at that last bit and that Chell seemed elated by the ego stroke he just received.

A chirp from Paris' combadge interrupted any future interrogation the chef had planned. **Janeway to Paris.**

Roger sighed in relief. There weren't too many more questions that could have asked that wouldn't have required a bending of the truth. "Paris here Captain." Tom read the emotion in his friend's eye and sent him back a look saying 'told you so.'

**Tom, is our newest guest still with you?**

"Yes captain. We are just in the Mess Hall getting breakfast and talking to Chell."

**Report to the ready room when you're finished. The senior staff meeting is going to start in a few minutes, and I want to introduce Mr. Floyd to all of the department heads.** Despite the murmur that swept through the Mess Hall at the mention of a last name, Roger had a momentary wave of panic go through him. What if they wanted him to try and reverse the process and go back to being a hologram?

"Affirmative captain. We'll start up there right away."

**Very good, Janeway out.**

Tom sighed and looked up at Neelix and Roger. "Sorry Chell, we have to get going. We'll see you up later." Getting up, Tom and Roger took their trays over to the recycler and started for the door.

As the duo were heading out, one of the patrons who had been watching Tom and Roger's conversation with Chell got up to follow them out the door. Not seeing the obstruction that seemed to be waiting by the floor, her foot suddenly got caught and she let out a little scream as she suddenly felt air rush around her as her body started falling forward.

Roger was still going over the concept of meeting Voyager's senior staff when a woman's strangled scream was heard behind him. Turning his head in alarm, he saw in slow motion as her entire body seemed to be going forward with the notable exception of her foot and ankle. Concentrating on that area of her body, Roger watched as the layers of skin and muscle melted away to reveal the bone. Realizing that falling at the angle she was presently moving at her ankle would shatter, Roger moved as fast as he could to catch her.

To Megan Delaney, she caught her foot, started to fall and just stopped much sooner than she should have by what felt like clothed granite. To Roger, he simply caught her before her foot and ankle were broken. To everyone else in the Mess Hall, Megan started to fall and Roger seemed to just appear there out of nowhere.

Gently putting her down in a seat, Roger quickly smiled at her and released her foot and warned her about being careful. Not waiting for the young woman to thank him, Roger vanished from her side and just appeared next to Paris. Together they left the room that was now in a stunned silence.

Walking along the corridor outside the Mess Hall toward the lift, Tom couldn't help himself. "I wonder how long it's going to be before the entire ship knows about that."

"Oh leave me alone. It's your fault that I have a hero complex. Besides, I wouldn't have caught her if I didn't know that she would have broken her ankle." Seeing Tom's grin, Roger prepared his concession speech. "Oh all right. I probably should be more careful about advertising what I can and can't do, but she was hot, so I had to make a choice: let her hit me or let her hit the floor and break her ankle."

Originally Tom had intended on just letting Roger squirm for a minute or two, but hearing about an attraction Megan made this more interesting. If her reaction of astonished silence were any indication, Megan probably would like very much hearing about that little factoid. Tom needed to get the betting pools up and going again and it was fairly obvious that Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay weren't going to be helping him out in his quest to win rations. Perhaps having Roger on Voyager was going get things going again.

Roger, who could almost hear Tom's thoughts, growled. He didn't hate many things in his old life. He hated crime, drugs, death and mindless destruction. In this world, most of it seemed to be gone, but the one thing that Roger hated above off of that was the one thing that HAD carried over: being baited in conversations with Tom Paris.


End file.
